1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a domestic electric appliance with an electrodialytic water purifier, and particularly, to a humidifier with an electrodialytic water purifier that removes dissolved matter, which may otherwise settle and cause white spots on household effects such as furniture, from humidifying water and produces an electric field for preventing fur and bacteria from growing in water stored in the humidifier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Domestic electric appliances such as a humidifier usually use tap water, which comes from rivers, lakes, ponds, dams, reservoirs, etc. Raw water from rivers, etc., is purified at a purification plant. In the purification plant, the raw water is passed through sedimentation and filter basins to remove suspended matter, bacteria, iron, manganese, and organic components, which may cause smells and unpleasantness, from the water. The cleaned water is still biologically active to contain or produce microbes and bacteria. Accordingly, the water is disinfected by adding chlorine gas or powder. The water is then supplied to homes, etc.
Although the tap water is clean and potable, it contains minerals, carbonic acid, chlorine ions, silica, iron, organic components, and the like. The carbonic acid in the tap water derives from carbonic acid compounds in the ground and carbon dioxide in air, the chlorine ions derive from the chlorine gas or powder used for disinfection at the purification plants, and the organic components derive from algae, bacteria, and their decomposed matter contained in raw water. These dissolved substances are not removable at the purification plants and remain in tap water.
Domestic electric appliances such as a humidifier must use such tap water containing dissolved substances. Water particles emitted from the humidifier deposit on household effects such as furniture and evaporate to leave the dissolved substances as white spots on the furniture, etc.
To prevent the white spots, water purifiers using ion exchange resin are marketed. These water purifiers are classified into a general-purpose type and a specific type exclusive for humidifiers.
The ion exchange resin removes not only the dissolved substances that cause the white spots but also residual chlorine (mainly hypochlorous acid) for disinfection. Accordingly, water passed through the ion exchange resin and stored in a tank in the water purifier may easily grow fur and bacteria. When tile humidifier with the water purifier is continuously operated, it will cause no problem of growing fur and bacteria because fresh water is always supplied into the tank through the ion exchange resin. If the humidifier is not used for a while, water in the tank may grow fur and bacteria. If this water is sprayed into air, it will cause a health problem.
The performance of the ion exchange resin quickly deteriorates and must be replaced after a certain period of use (usually about a month and a half). This increases a running cost.
Refrigerators use tap water, too. When the tap water is used as it is for making ice in the refrigerator, +minerals, chlorine ions, etc., dissolved in the water make the ice opaque to degrade its appearance.